Ranking 8 General Manager Candidates That Could Replace Bob Quinn
Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn were broomed out of Motown on Saturday by Lions principal owner Sheila Ford Hamp.
It was a long time coming for the duo, and it was a huge win PR-wise for Hamp.
I've already ranked the potential replacements for Patricia on the sideline.
So, today, I'm going to take a look at the possible replacements for Quinn in the front office.
Without further ado, here is my ranking of the eight names the organization should consider to replace him (based on both resume and viability of Lions being able to hire individual).
8.) NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah
Jeremiah is one of the brightest minds when it comes to breaking down the draft on TV.
He's NFL Network's lead draft guru, and should garner some attention for GM vacancies this offseason.
His predecessor at NFL Network Mike Mayock's success in running the front office of the Las Vegas Raiders should only enhance his odds of landing a gig, too.
7.) Ex-Houston Texans GM Rick Smith
Before former Texans head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien destroyed the franchise with roster-crippling moves, such as trading star wideout DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, Smith had started to put the pieces in place to make Houston a consistent playoff contender.
Smith took over as the team's general manager in 2006, and was later elevated to the position of executive vice president of football operations.
He stepped down in 2017 to care for his ailing wife.
While in charge of the Texans' front office, he was responsible for drafting some high-end talent, including Hopkins, J.J. Watt and Deshaun Watson, who ended up being his final first-round pick with the organization.
Detroit is in dire need of a young franchise passer, and should be selecting one in next year's NFL Draft.
If Smith's up to the challenge and ready to return to the NFL, I wouldn't mind entrusting him with such a responsibility.
6.) Former Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff
Dimitroff was fired along with Dan Quinn earlier this season, after the Falcons jumped out to a disappointing 0-5 start to the campaign.
He's primarily on this list, because he built the Atlanta squad that won the NFC during the 2016 season.
However, it should also be noted that the Falcons made the playoffs in four of Dimitroff's first five years in Atlanta, including during his very first season in 2008.
He was more successful than not during his 12-year run in Atlanta (2008-2020), as the Falcons went 113-90 in that span.
His resume tells me that he definitely at least warrants consideration for Detroit's general manager vacancy.
5.) ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick
This pro scout-turned-NFL analyst has his name mentioned whenever there's a general manager job that opens up. Thus, to no surprise, he's being talked about as a candidate to replace Quinn -- and rightfully so.
Long before he became a color commentator on Monday Night Football, he put in time as a scout for multiple NFL franchises.
He got his start in the profession as a pro scout with the then-Washington Redskins in 2001, before being promoted to director of pro personnel, a position which he held for three seasons (2005-07).
He then went off to Philadelphia, where he was a scout (2008), the assistant director of pro personnel (2009) and eventually, the director of pro personnel (2010-13).
Sure, the comparison can be made to Matt Millen, if the Lions go this route and hire Riddick.
Millen was also in the broadcast booth before becoming the front-office "head honcho" in Motown, and he infamously led the Lions to a 31–84 mark from 2001-08, which included the organization's hugely painful 0-16 campaign in 2008.
Yet, it's far from completely fair to compare Riddick to Millen, because Millen had no prior background in an NFL front office.
For that reason, Riddick and Millen shouldn't be grouped together, and barely belong in the same sentence as one another.
Riddick's football acumen is off the charts, and his time working at ESPN has only validated it.
It seems like it's only a matter of time now until he lands a GM job.
4.) Pittsburgh Steelers general manager/vice president Kevin Colbert
This is definitely a pipe dream candidate right here, as there's been no indication that he'd be willing to leave his post with the Steelers.
He's been with the Steelers since 2000, and has overseen two Super Bowl championship-winning teams.
During his run in Pittsburgh, the Steelers have also suffered just one losing season (in 2003).
Meanwhile, in stark contrast, the Lions have experienced 15 losing seasons in the same time span, and it's 16, if you include the 2020 campaign.
Colbert's also featured on this list of candidates, because he served as Detroit's pro scouting director from 1990-99.
Subsequently, he's worked for the Ford family before, and maybe would be willing to do them a solid and come back to run the front office -- even if it's only for a three-four-year period.
Trust me, I understand this isn't very likely at all -- about as good of a shot as I have to date Ariana Grande or Selena Gomez.
But, if I'm the Lions and am granted an interview with Colbert by the Steelers, I'm giving him a blank check, and telling him to fill in whatever dollar amount he desires.
3.) Kansas City Chiefs director of football operations Mike Borgonzi
If you want Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to take over as Lions head coach, the best way of making sure it happens is likely by hiring Borgonzi.
Borgonzi himself would be a well-received hire, after helping build the Chiefs into Super Bowl champions a year ago.
He's part of a front office that helped revamp Kansas City's defense in 2019 into one that finished seventh in both total points allowed and points allowed per game (308 total points and 19.3 points/game).
This came after the Chiefs' defense in 2018 finished just 24th in the same two categories (421 total points and 26.3/game).
And boy, could Detroit use a general manager that focuses on building up the defensive side of the ball.
It was easily the Achilles' heel during the nearly three full years in which Patricia roamed the sidelines.
Subsequently, the onus is on the next Lions GM to completely overhaul the defense.
And Borgonzi might be just the right guy to make it happen.
2.) Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds
The right-hand man of Chris Ballard in Indianapolis has put together quite the resume.
He spent a decade with the Seattle Seahawks (2007-16), helping put together a roster that won five NFC West division crowns and a Super Bowl.
He's regarded as one of the top general manager candidates in the league, and could prove to be hard for the Lions to pull out of Indy.
1.) San Francisco 49ers vice president of player personnel Adam Peters
Peters has learned from one of the most adept individuals at running a front office in John Lynch.
Lynch hired Peters in 2017 to be the team's vice president of player personnel -- a job he still holds to this day with the 49ers.
Prior to joining San Francisco, he spent eight years in Denver (2009-16), starting off as a regional scout and eventually rising to the position of director of college scouting.
He not only helped construct two AFC championship teams with the Broncos, including a Super Bowl championship squad in 2015, but he also aided in building the 49ers into NFC champions a season ago.
Additionally, San Francisco has drafted well since '17 -- a credit to Lynch but also to Peters. It played a factor in the franchise making a Super Bowl appearance last year.
Quinn, meanwhile, was not known for producing the strongest draft hauls.
So, it'd be a nice change of pace to have someone leading the front office that's capable of doing so.
While there's no guarantee, there's a rather strong possibility that hiring Peters would also result in the hiring of Dearborn, Mich., native and present 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be Patricia's successor.
Although offensive play-callers are more of the hot commodities in today's game, Saleh would be considered a home-run hire due to his ties to the metro Detroit area.
Peters and Saleh would sure be a duo that would make the Lions fanbase happy.
